"Colombia? Wow, that's the trip of a lifetime!" And it was.

03/24, around 1:30 PM on the train from Lagos to Faro (southern Portugal)

A sudden thought crossed my mind. Maybe a trip outside Europe, maybe combine it with my passion for running, try something new, meet new people, why not? And so I landed on Google search. I checked the offers of several companies on the market, I had one favorite. At first glance, nice trips, interesting places, lots of good reviews. A trip to Peru caught my attention, and with that thought, I went to Faro.

03/26, around 12:00 PM, apartment in Faro, conversation with the trip organizer via WhatsApp

The conversation was interesting. I didn't really know what to expect. I felt that the guys knew their stuff, they've been doing this for many years, and people trust them. They know the countries I'm interested in, they've worked in South America, or even conducted charitable activities there. So I didn't see any red flags to immediately give up on this idea. What I learned was that Peru is planned only for 2025, but there's still one spot left for a trip to Colombia in August 2024. I don't remember exactly how the conversation ended, but I definitely said I'd think it over and let them know what's next.

03/26, a few hours later, apartment in Faro, bank transfer

What can I write here - I didn't think long. In the evening, I made the transfers according to the organizer's instructions and was added to the WhatsApp group for the Colombia 2024 trip. With the thought that I'm going to such an exotic country (at least for me), I continued my stay in Portugal. The very thought of traveling to Colombia probably escaped quite quickly. It really hit me about a month before the trip.

June / July 2024

Okay, I had thought about the trip earlier, but I had to start preparations seriously in June, early July. I had a prepared list of things I needed to do:

water bag, waterproof phone case
GoPro?
prescription sports glasses !!!
how about SMS confirmations for bank or something
vaccinations
taxes by 08/06
DOLLARS !! - how much ultimately with that rafting
Tropical Diseases Clinic
Mugga repellents
list from the organizer
boarding pass?
Juan - phone number
headlamp battery
Colombia map
any video / article that might be useful?

This is a copy of my note in Google Keep. I started with the task related to sunglasses with a corrective insert earliest. Then I started buying dollars. Next came vaccinations. After consultations with my family doctor and checking the recommendations of the Tropical Diseases Clinic, I got vaccinated against three diseases: I had a booster shot for tetanus, whooping cough, and diphtheria, a second for yellow fever, and a third for hepatitis A. July and early August were about gradually buying various things: running equipment, clothes, various accessories.

08/06

My journey to Colombia began on Tuesday, August 6th. I set off by train from Środa Wielkopolska to Poznań, where I changed trains to Warsaw Central. In Warsaw, I spent some time, ate something, had coffee, and in the evening arrived at Chopin Airport. I also spent the night there.

08/07

Around 3-4 AM, we had a gathering with the organizer and other people flying to Colombia. To my surprise, it was a group of people of different ages and different levels of athletic advancement (at least at first glance). As it turned out later, only a handful of people participated in more advanced running training. Then a plane to Amsterdam and then a connection to Bogota. The flight between continents took about 11 hours. We were there around 2:00 PM local time.

08/07-08/11

For the first five days, we visited various places: Bogota, Cocora Valley, Salento, Filandia, a coffee plantation, and Medellin. It's a completely different culture, with interesting landscapes and a stark social contrast. I didn't feel very comfortable in terms of safety due to the warnings we received from the organizers and the information posted on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. And since I have quite a vivid imagination and a tendency towards overthinking, unfortunately, my thoughts sometimes went too far. But despite this, I took great joy in the opportunity to explore a new country, and with interesting persons. All these activities were interspersed with running training sessions. We usually just ran in various cool places as a group.

Bogota

Cocora Valley

Medellin - Comuna 13

Medellin

08/12

August 12th marked the beginning of a two-day rafting adventure. We set off early in the morning. Each of us had to gather only a specific set of items needed for spending the night in the jungle (toothbrush, toothpaste, some snacks, phone, a change of clothes, and a headlamp). The plan was to raft down the Rio Samana on the first day, then spend the night in the jungle, and continue rafting to the endpoint on the second day. The rafting itself and floating in a raft as a group was an incredibly interesting and exciting experience. I really enjoyed myself, even though it was my first time participating in such an endeavor. The event organizers rose to the challenge, and the first part of the expedition went smoothly.

Rafting

We reached the overnight spot, took off our life jackets, and walked a few hundred meters through the jungle to a waterfall with a small water basin far from any civilization. We jumped, swam, and the sun broke through the trees – it was quite bearable, I'd say. Time to return to the camp. I walked maybe 30-50 meters, took a step forward, and the plank I stepped on broke. I fell with considerable force onto my right arm on a nearby rock. I heard a crunch, instinctively got up, and already knew something was wrong. First glance at my arm, excruciating pain. First thought: "No, this is some fucking joke, I'm in the middle of the jungle far from civilization, evening is approaching, and I've probably just broken my arm with a displacement."

The hand just after the accident

Of course, there was shock in the camp. The organizers were holding their heads in disbelief. We didn't know exactly what to do. The first step was to stabilize the arm. A quick discussion followed about what we could do next, namely how to get to a hospital with an X-ray as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, evening was approaching, so continuing by raft wasn't an option. So we had two choices. First: I could endure the night, then travel by raft and reach the hospital by the evening of the next day. At that moment, I wasn't sure if the wrist bones or the radius was broken, or what that even meant. Because of this, I wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible. That's why I chose the second option: riding a donkey through the jungle late in the evening, reaching the nearest village, switching to a car, and finally getting to the hospital. And this was the second time I said to myself that this must be some fucking joke. I mean, how does it even sound – riding a donkey for the first time in my life with a broken arm, with strangers, in the jungle? In short, it didn't make any sense to me. But whatever, I wanted new adventures and experiences, so here I am. I had to pull myself together. While waiting for the "transport," I ate, changed my clothes, took some painkillers, and waited. At this point, I'd like to thank all the people who supported me then, whether with words or actions. It lifted my spirits, and looking at it optimistically, I would reach the hospital in Guatape in about 6 hours.

08/12, around 6-7 PM

So, off we go. The donkey and its accompanying guide on horseback arrived quite quickly. I mounted the donkey with the help of several people. I couldn't use my right hand, so it was quite difficult. Quick training – I was told that I needed to work hard with my legs, maneuvering my center of gravity because I was facing an uphill and downhill ride. Unfortunately, I only had my left hand available for stabilization and holding on. With a bit of fear, I made sure I had the most necessary things: a bag (serving as a sling), passport, and phone. And we set off. I had to focus on that moment, an incredible grounding experience. The best and fastest mindfulness session I've ever had. Nothing else mattered to me except the donkey's next step, maintaining stability, not falling off, and reaching the destination as quickly as possible. While the first steps on flat ground were more or less okay, it became difficult when the ascents and descents started. I was also quite tired after a full day of rafting and I could feel it. However, I had to grit my teeth and maneuver my whole body, working with one hand to stay on that beloved donkey (yes, I patted him and told him he was brave). The route went through various places. From heavily overgrown meadows to dense forests and steep slopes where on my right side there was simply a wall dropping down. I won't hide that this was the first moment in my life when I was afraid I might lose it, and that would be it. When I finally got a handle on the extreme donkey riding and some positive thoughts started appearing in my head, I heard thunder and noticed lightning flashing in the distance. This heralded an approaching storm. Storms in South America are quite intense, especially near the equator. This added a bit of spice to the journey, as we had to make it before it started raining. I had my headlamp on the whole time, but I didn't look to the sides. I didn't want to fully see what was around me. I simply focused on what was in front of me, on whether the donkey would choose a similar path to the horse leading it on a rope. We passed some barbed wire fences, cows (the glowing eyes of cows in the jungle are terrifying), and streams. The journey lasted about two hours until we finally reached some asphalt road, which allowed me to breathe a little easier. Unfortunately, we couldn't gallop because the pain level would increase significantly then. Finally, we arrived at a village. It was Samana del Norte.

Samana del Norte at night

Samana del Norte on the map

08/12, godz. około 21:00

Samana del Norte. Throughout the entire jungle journey, I was accompanied by Juan (a made-up name, as I don't want to reveal real names in the text), who was walking on foot. He was the helmsman on my raft during the rafting trip and also one of the event organizers. He decided to go with me to ensure I safely reached the village and got into the car. I arrived at the village around 8-9 PM. Juan was there a bit earlier. When the asphalt road appeared, a motorcycle picked him up, allowing him to save some energy. He was waiting for me at one of the houses in the village of Samana del Norte, along with an unfamiliar older gentleman.

They greeted me, helped me get off the donkey, and I was given a delicious juice to drink. Yes, I can say it was the best papaya juice of my life. To my surprise, I had mobile phone coverage there. I quickly connected with the travel insurance I had purchased for my trip to Colombia and reported the incident. I briefly described what happened and informed them that I was heading to the hospital in Guatape. I received confirmation via email. I also wrote to my insurance agent about what happened, and then to my wife Kinga: "I did something to my hand while I was in the forest in Colombia (...) My wrist just hurts (...) Don't worry" (message sent at 3:17 AM Polish time the next day).

You could say that I sent all these messages at the last possible moment. A few minutes later, the wind picked up, and the lightning and thunder became more pronounced. It was clear that a serious storm was approaching. The host invited us inside and closed the door. It was a rather simple house. White walls, with a plain metal roof. We were invited to the dining area in the kitchen, where hot meals prepared by the lady of the house were waiting for us. The host nodded and gestured for us to help ourselves. Totally mind-blowing. Complete strangers from another country come out of the jungle late in the evening, and you just let them into your house and feed them.

Meal

For me, at that moment, it was a lifesaver. We started eating, and meanwhile, a truly powerful storm broke out. Juan kept checking the location and intensity of the rainfall, worrying about the campers who had stayed by the river and were supposed to sleep in hammocks strung between trees. Several minutes passed, and unfortunately, we lost power and mobile phone coverage. Our only light sources were candles and headlamps. The storm was really intense, with heavy rainfall and strong winds, all of this in the tiny town of Samana in Colombia, somewhere in the middle of the jungle, two or three hours' drive from the hospital. As you can probably guess, the car wasn't waiting for me, and after about an hour, it still hadn't arrived. Communication was difficult. There was no way to contact anyone.

After the meal, our hosts invited us to the living room. We sat at the table and started talking. Juan acted as a Spanish interpreter. They asked me about Poland, what happened to me, how I ended up here, what we were sightseeing, and how we in Poland perceive Colombians. Really diverse topics, all of this happening during a raging storm by candlelight. The host joked that when I recover, I could come back to milk the cows (who knows?). The couple were local farmers. I talked with these incredibly kind people and was very grateful for their hospitality. However, every now and then, my thoughts wandered back to the reason I was there. I still needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible and properly immobilize my arm, which was hurting like hell despite taking painkillers.

The hosts went to bed. They allowed us to stay and even provided a place to sleep. Unfortunately, I didn't sleep much. I kept hoping that a car would soon arrive, and I could simply leave. Sadly, that didn't happen. Hours passed, and I tried to sit in a relatively comfortable position and get some shut-eye, but it was incredibly difficult. On top of everything else, exotic insects and lizards crawling on the walls became active at night. And so I alternated between sitting and walking around with my headlamp on.

I was well monitored

All night, across from me, there was an image of Jesus pointing his hand at his heart. And as I thought about it later, as I think about it now, this whole situation, the coincidences... I'm probably forcibly looking for some signs in all of this, but a certain impulse appeared in me. Some reflections on faith, life, something deeper, greater came to my mind. It's a complicated topic that I might talk more about someday.

08/13

Let's return to Samana. I managed to last until about 6:00 AM when the Hosts woke up. The car that was supposed to pick me up last night still hadn't arrived. At one point, we managed to get a signal for a moment and learned that the car had simply gotten stuck in the mud somewhere and wouldn't make it. In this case, Juan and I had to organize some transport. The problem was that few people in the village have cars. One of the options was the local priest, and the Host promised to talk to him as soon as he finished tending to the cows. In the meantime, I went outside and noticed a car parked nearby. I asked Juan if he could check that option.

It worked out. The car owner agreed to take me to the hospital in Guatape within an hour. Meanwhile, the Hostess prepared breakfast for us. We also learned that yesterday's storm was so strong that the roof of the local school was torn off and all the equipment was destroyed. Terribly sad. We're talking about a poor village dozens of kilometers away from the nearest town. When it was time to leave, I said goodbye to Juan and thanked him for his help. Then he returned to the camp (on foot, the same way we came yesterday), and I set off with my new travel companion to Guatape.

On the way to Guatape

The ride was quite demanding, especially for my hand. Terrible bumps and holes for most of the route (about an hour and a half). Along the way, we passed many fallen trees and other obstacles on the streets. I also found out why there was no electricity. An electric pole with a transformer station was broken in half. I only regained signal around 2:40 PM Polish time. Message to Kinga at 2:43 PM: "I'm alive, going to the hospital because the road was impassable at night"

Guatape and Samana del Norte on the map (blue line is the moment of catching the mobile phone coverage and GPS)

We arrived in the town of San Rafael, where the Driver went to take care of some of his business. During this time, I waited in a local cafe.

San Rafael

I checked into the hospital in Guatape about an hour later. At the hospital reception, I was assisted by another rafting organizer (who didn't personally participate in the activity). He also served as my remote translator throughout the day. Despite knowing Italian fairly well, I still couldn't communicate effectively with the local nurses. I was admitted, interviewed, and then had an X-ray taken. I remember the doctor's expression when she first saw my arm. At first glance, she knew it was a displaced fracture.

X-ray

The next few hours were filled with significant stress related to further insurance arrangements. It turned out that this facility didn't have typical orthopedic care, and I would have to go to another hospital in a different city where they would decide what to do next (surgery was even a possibility). I waited on a cot for them to come and properly immobilize my arm and give me some medication, but unfortunately, it was in vain.

Temporary immobilization

In the background, some cheerful music was playing. I'm not sure where it was coming from, whether from a school or a restaurant. I also remember the nurses giggling every time I came to ask something with Google Translate in hand. I didn't worry about it too much. I just wanted to make sure I was taking the right actions at that moment. I kept hearing phrases like "El Polaco, El Paciente Polaco". I knew they were talking about me (now you know where the blog section name comes from). I wasn't fully aware of how the entire Colombian healthcare system worked either. Who reports what, to whom, and how. Eventually, I received emergency care late in the evening. They immobilized my arm and gave me some injections. I thought I would leave and join the group that was touring the local town. Guatape is supposedly the most beautiful small town in Colombia. There's also a huge rock there that's definitely worth climbing - La Piedra Del Peñol (I eventually managed to see it, and from a unique perspective). However, it turned out that I couldn't leave the hospital because I needed an orthopedic consultation at another hospital first. It was clear that I would spend the night in the hospital waiting for information on when and to which hospital my insurer would redirect me. All that was left was to eat the candy bar I had received from the campers just before setting out on the donkey. And it tasted so good! In the evening, one of the camp organizers and a camp participant visited me to ask how I was doing and how they could help. I'm very grateful to them for all the advice, support, and for arranging a warm meal at the hospital.

08/14

From the morning, I was wondering how I could turn this whole situation into something positive, what I could learn from it. I wanted to push away thoughts that I'm missing all these beautiful views, workouts, conversations with people - it was damn difficult. However, I had to focus on getting my arm to a state where I could safely return to Poland on August 20. Finally, I received a message from the insurance company about which hospital I would be transported to for specialized orthopedic care. This was very good news! It wasn't obvious that the insurance company would act so efficiently. Unfortunately, there was still some unnecessary nervousness. There was some misunderstanding between the hospital and the insurer, and I was sent to a different hospital. The stress level rose quite high because at one point I thought I would be left without help somewhere in the middle of the big city that is Medellin (yes, that city of the famous drug baron). Fortunately, this was clarified, and I was finally transported to the right facility.

La Piedra Del Peñol in a unique shot

I was admitted to the orthopedic ward, and this was undoubtedly a success. The insurance intermediary operating in South America took care of all the formalities, and I was served on a cashless basis. I took a shower, lay down on the bed, called Kinga, and then I broke down. It all hit me. And this was the third time I said that this is some fucking joke. I had chaotic thoughts like: "what happened in the last 48 hours doesn't happen," "a scenario unfolded that I wouldn't have imagined." But it did happen, and it happened to me. There's a valuable lesson from this: we are not untouchable. "Situations" simply happen. You never know when they will affect us, and you have to somehow prepare for them (but how the fuck do you prepare for riding a donkey in the jungle at night). Therefore, there's also a second valuable lesson: you simply can't prepare for some situations. You then have to make decisions here and now, with the knowledge you have under the given conditions. This is where acting in uncertainty comes in, which so many people are afraid of. We wallow in familiar sauce, but contrary to that, it's precisely these difficult and unexpected circumstances that shape us the most. Because what could be worse than the fear of losing your life? On one hand, it's proof that we care about something. On the other hand, such an experience should trivialize everyday problems (like standing in traffic jams) - "I survived a night in the jungle, some stupid traffic jam won't piss me off" - right? right???

08/15

I got carried away, let's return to Medellin. In the early morning, an orthopedic doctor visited me. He determined that I have a rather serious fracture that will require a two-stage treatment. First, a procedure called reduction, which involves putting the bone back in the right place without the need for opening. Then, surgery will be necessary to set the bones in the optimal position for healing and to prevent future problems. This was very important to me because as a programmer... well, I don't need to finish that thought.

The reduction procedure went quite smoothly. I don't remember much because I was sedated (but without anesthesiology). Interestingly, I woke up with a very clear mind and vision for myself - finally! I hadn't experienced anything like this before - I don't think it's related to the intravenous medications given before the procedure. I accepted the doctor's plan not to do the second stage in Colombia, but to wait until I return to Poland. If I had the surgery in Colombia, I would have had to stay there longer (because the arm needed to rest and the current swelling to subside) and I wouldn't have rejoined the group at all. The surgery should take place right after returning, about 10-15 days after the reduction procedure. Considering that I would only be in Poland on August 21, it was getting quite tight to organize the procedure in Poland within the appropriate timeframe (whether through the National Health Fund or privately). Because of this, Kinga and I started working and figuring out how to do it after my return to Poland. Meanwhile, I established an action plan with the camp organizers (I already knew I would be discharged on August 16).

08/16

I arrived in Cartagena on the evening of August 16. It sounds quite simple now, but before starting the Medellin - Cartagena journey, it didn't seem that way to me at all... With luggage (carry-on + personal item - fully packed), a broken arm, moving around with strangers in taxis, plus a delayed flight. Moreover, I didn't know how I would survive the flight, whether the pain would be worse at altitude. There were many thoughts in my head about what could go wrong. And since things had happened so far that even my pessimism didn't foresee, I wasn't entirely calm. I just wanted to join the group so I wouldn't be alone anymore. Yes, I, a person who avoids crowds, social media, and is totally incapable of small talk, didn't want to be alone - that's how Colombia changes a person. I managed to cope with this situation and my thoughts by writing notes and keeping a journal on my phone. It always helps me. I usually do this on paper, but due to the unavailability of my right hand, I had to manage somehow. Furthermore, I kept looking for positives in this whole situation, what it could give me in the future, I wanted to preserve that.

08/17

I spent the morning and early afternoon at the hotel in Cartagena watching Premier League, Serie A, German Super Cup, which is what I would usually do on a Saturday in Poland - indulging in my passion for football. The camp group arrived around 3 PM. I greeted them, briefly explained what happened and how things were. "It's good, I feel okay, there's a plan of action." Because that's how it was. It was good considering that a few dozen hours earlier I didn't know how it would end (when I would reach the group, what would happen with my arm, when I would return to Poland). I went with the group for a general development training, of course in the role of a companion. I wanted to explore the city a bit and... not be alone. It was terribly stuffy, hot, and humid.

08/18-08/21

The next few days were spent exploring Cartagena and the Rosary Islands. The views were beautiful - it was the Caribbean Sea, after all. Cartagena itself was also captivating. I was grateful that I could still take advantage of the trip and see all these things (even though I missed out on so many interesting places and group training sessions). The return flight went well and quite quickly. My brother picked me up from Chopin Airport in Warsaw. On the evening of August 21, I arrived home. I was happy to be back, very much so. I was simply grateful. In the meantime, I informed the people I work with daily that I wouldn't be returning to work anytime soon, explaining the situation and what had happened. Now the fight is for the quickest possible surgery and return to fitness.

Cartagena

09/01

I'm finishing this post on September 1. Tomorrow I'm going to the hospital. It should be a fairly routine operation. The final diagnosis is a complicated fracture of the lower radial epiphysis - ICD code S52.5. The reduction procedure done at the hospital in Medellin was good, but the bones still shifted. So after consulting with doctors in Poland, they maintained the recommendation for surgical intervention. All that's left is to believe and hope that after the surgery and rehabilitation, I'll regain full functionality of my hand and be able to continue doing what I love. If not 100%, then at least 99% - traveling, creating new things, programming, running. Your thinking changes after something like this, after such a confluence of circumstances. I think I'll fully appreciate these experiences in the future, with the perspective of time. For now, I'm focusing on getting back to full health, but I think I'll be very grateful for this someday. However, I won't hand this over to something greater, I'll do it myself. I'll turn this into something good on my own. Kinga said to me as a farewell at the train station in Poznan: "Go and finally find yourself". And I think that happened. I now have concrete plans, a vision for myself, what I'd like to do. There's certainly no point in waiting. I found myself in Colombia, and that's not a fucking joke.

Why this post was created?

Well, I was inspired by the words of Pat Flynn, which Michał Szafrański included in his blog post: "That's why I think it's everyone's duty - if you have something worth sharing, if you have something that could potentially improve someone's life - you must go out to people and share it." (https://jakoszczedzacpieniadze.pl/pat-flynn-jak-blogowac-i-zarabiac-pieniadze). Additionally, I recommend reading another post on this blog: https://jakoszczedzacpieniadze.pl/z-wozka-inwalidzkiego-do-maratonu, which helped me a lot in tougher moments. I remembered it about a day after the accident, and I don't hide that it helped me maintain positive thinking at that time. Michał describes his snowboarding accident and return to fitness, as well as the process of starting his blogging adventure. Regarding the post itself, forgive some of the syntax or poorly chosen words, but this text was meant to be more of an outpouring of certain emotions and a record of events that were happening. To speed up the writing process, I used speech-to-text tools. However, they're not perfect, so there was still some editing to do. If even one person feels better after reading this text, or finds something valuable for themselves, I'll be very happy (let me know!). Thank you for reading this post. If you have any comments, questions, or thoughts, you can contact me at the following email address: kontakt@maciejkonczal.com. And meanwhile... it's time for a deep breath (Professor Kękę - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy3sC13XX4M).

NOTES

All photos come from private resources with three exceptions - a photo of the hand immediately after the accident and photos from the rafting.